computer hacks

If there’s a faster, easier way to do something I’m in. I love life hacks. Here are a few computer hacks I’ve collected to make writing and researching easier. Try them. And if you have other hacks to share, tell us about them in the comments.

When writing or editing

Want to find an opposite, a rhyming word, a word for a phrase? Head to Wordhippo.com. They also have translations and pronunciation help.

If you don’t have a grammar program, try Grammerly or Hemmingwayapp.com to help uncover passive voice, identify adverbs (so you can decide if you have overused them) and give you an overall reading level. (especially useful for non-fiction article writers).

Looking for a special font? Google.com/fonts is a collection of open source fonts, all optimized for the web.

When reviewing, change your font to something you don’t like. It will force you to slow down and read more critically.

Research hacks

Is your research article “Too Long Didn’t Read” or TLDR? Add Chrome’s TLDR free plugin to your browser screen to be one-click away from getting a condensed synopsis/summary view of news, blog posts, and other articles online. The plugin analyzes content and creates four different-length summaries.

The control key also allows you to keyboard commands without stopping typing. Hold down the control key as you hit the shortcut. The keys themselves are also intuitive as they often stand for what you want to do. S for save. P for print, etc. The ones I use all the time are ctrl + f = find and crtl + z = undo.
Here’s a full list:

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There you go. Hack away, writer, and see if all this doesn’t make your writing and researching life easier.